


Roses

by Mintaka14



Series: The Past Comes Knocking [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Lukanette, Past Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, lukanette endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mintaka14/pseuds/Mintaka14
Summary: Marinette's past shows up at the door with an armful of roses, but things have changed.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: The Past Comes Knocking [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827976
Comments: 20
Kudos: 261





	Roses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [damagectrl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damagectrl/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Delayed](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20799116) by [damagectrl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damagectrl/pseuds/damagectrl). 



> This was inspired by, and follows directly on from, Damagectrl's amazing Lukanette fic, Delayed, with very kind permission from the author. If you haven't read it yet, go. Go now. It's sweet, it's hot, and it turned me into a Lukanette believer.
> 
> It also fits in just before my story Long Overdue, which was also (obviously) inspired by Delayed.

**Roses**

**A Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction**

**By Mintaka14**

When Marinette heard Adrien’s startled voice out in the hallway saying “What are you doing here?” the spoon she’d been stirring the pasta sauce with paused. That was a voice she hadn’t heard in a while, and she lifted the spoon out of the pot, turning down the heat.

Luka was leaning casually against the doorframe, his attention on their guest, but Marinette could see the muscles in his shoulders tense.

“I live here,” Luka said in a neutral voice. “It’s been a while, Adrien. What brings you here?”

Adrien’s gaze shifted past Luka to fix on Marinette as she came to stand just behind Luka.

“Hi, Marinette,” he said softly. “It’s been too long. I was hoping we could talk.”

He proffered the bouquet of pink roses in his hands, and Marinette stared at it for a long moment. Luka’s long, black-nailed fingers flexed on the doorframe, but he said nothing.

“I’ve been trying to call you.” And what was she supposed to say to that? _Yes, I blocked your number because I didn’t want to talk to you, didn’t want to have to pretend everything was okay when you left me nearly three years ago._

“Nino told me where you were living now,” Adrien admitted. At least Marinette knew who to hunt down and kill, although Alya might not be thrilled if Marinette strangled Nino with her bare hands.

Adrien held out the roses again, practically pushing them into her hands. She stepped back with a sigh, accepting the inevitable.

“Why don’t you come in, Adrien?” She caught the lift of Luka’s eyebrow and gave him a wry smile in return. His fingertips brushed her hip. “We’ve got our parents and Juleka and Rose coming around for dinner later, but we’ve got a few hours before then.”

“Oh,” Adrien said uncomfortably. He shifted, looking around the apartment in bemused appraisal. His eyes flicked over the photos on the walls, the untidy scatter of sketchbooks and fabric samples, and settled on Luka’s guitar propped against the couch.

“So,” Adrien said awkwardly, his gaze shifting between them rapidly. “You two are together now. Nino didn’t mention that.”

His gaze drifted around the room again. There were still a couple of boxes and suitcases lying around that Luka hadn’t had time to deal with yet, but all his instruments were carefully unpacked and displayed already. Marinette liked the shapes and patterns of the assorted instruments against the bolts of fabric she had propped in all corners of the room.

“Just got back two days ago,” Luka was saying calmly. “There’s still a few things to unpack, and I’m trying to work out where my toothbrush is, but I’m starting to settle in.”

Luka moved his guitar to its stand and came back to her side, one arm draped over her shoulders and she leaned back into him, her hands still full of roses.

“We met up again in Reykjavik after I got stranded at the airport. Luka was over there working with Jagged, and he came and rescued me,” she explained.

Adrien’s slightly bewildered green eyes shifted back to Luka.

“Working with Jagged,” he said, as if he was trying to find something safe to talk about. “Wow. That must be amazing.”

“It’s been interesting.” Marinette could feel the low rumble of Luka’s soft laugh. “Jagged tends to do everything at full volume, but we’ve been to some incredible places, and got some incredible music out of it. I’m just as happy to be back home again,” he said, glancing down at Marinette. “Still got a few performances to go, but at least we’re in Paris again.”

Silence fell, and for the life of her Marinette couldn’t think of anything to say to break it. Luka took the flowers gently out of her hands. “How about if I go put these in some water while you two catch up.”

Marinette turned her head slightly to watch Luka head into the kitchen. She could feel herself frowning and she smoothed out the expression.

“I’m sorry,” she cut off what Adrien was saying and stood up. “I just… did you want a drink or something? I’m going to go get a drink.”

She didn’t wait for his negative before she beat a retreat into the kitchen. She was too old for one of her teenage emotional freak-outs. She’d thought she was past this, but there were times when it felt like Adrien just brought out the worst in her.

Luka was filling a jug with water, but his eyes were on the flowers sitting on the bench. There was an uncharacteristic tightness around his mouth.

“Are you okay?” Marinette said softly, and Luka refocused on her.

“I’m fine.”

“Really? Because you’ve got that ‘I hate this, but I’m trying to be the bigger person’ look.”

His smile turned wry. “Am I that easy to read?”

Marinette slid her arms around his waist.

“Only to me, rockstar.” She leaned her forehead on his shoulder and sighed. “I’m guessing he’s trying to work out if it’s been long enough that he can smooth things over with me. Adrien never could stand the thought of someone being angry at him.”

“Are you sure that’s all it is?” Luka asked drily, his eyes flicking towards the flowers. Marinette sighed again.

“I hope that’s all it is,” she said, her voice going flat, “because I’d hate to have to kick his ass for thinking there was any chance I’d ever go back to him.”

That startled a laugh out of Luka, as she’d been hoping.

“Suddenly I’m hoping he really is here to try and win you back,” he said, dumping the jug on the counter and turning to wrap his arms around her. “It’d make my day to watch you take him down.”

“I fell out of love with him a long, long time ago, but I’d really hate to think that anyone I’d ever dated was that stupid.”

Luka’s arms tightened around her, and Marinette felt him chuckle into her hair. For a moment the rest of the world, and the ex-boyfriend waiting in the other room, faded into nonexistence as she stretched up and kissed him.

Finally, Luka reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, looking as though he wanted to kiss her again.

“You’d better go talk to him,” he said reluctantly, “before we’re unforgivably rude and forget we have a guest here.”

“Later for that,” Marinette told him, a smile flickering at the corners of her mouth as she stepped back, her hands lingering a little longer on the lean muscles of his waist. She pushed through the kitchen door, and Adrien looked up from the couch, not mentioning the absence of any sort of drink. He looked as awkward as an impeccably dressed model could look, and Marinette felt a pang of sympathy.

“We’ve got our families coming round for dinner, otherwise I’d ask you to stay,” she told him. “It’s a bit of a special occasion tonight. But maybe you could come to Jagged’s concert tomorrow night. Alya and Nino are coming, and we can get you tickets if you’re interested. We’re all going to catch up after the show.”

“That… would be nice.” Adrien gave her a tiny smile. “It’s been far too long since we talked. I’ve missed you.”

Marinette stayed silent, wondering where he was going with this.

“I hope you can forgive me for how I treated you,” he said. “I hope we can be friends again one day.“

Marinette softened. “I’d like that,” she said gently, and allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. But she didn’t let him linger. She stepped back, and gave him a smile.

“Luka’s a lucky guy,” he said, and if it sounded a little wistful, she ignored it.

“I’m the lucky one.” She sometimes felt as if all of Ladybug’s fortune had been packed into that night in Reykjavik that had brought Luka back into her life. He was the calm to her chaos, the one who made her light up at the sound of his voice. He was brilliant and sweet and those hands of his could set her on fire. He was like coming home. He was… Luka. That was all he needed to be. And he loved her. Oh, he loved her. “Having Luka back in my life is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

She could see Adrien stiffen a little at her words, but she couldn’t take back the truth. At the door, Adrien turned with that famous Agreste brand smile on his face.

“I’m very happy for you both.”

Marinette smiled back, and waved, and closed the door on the past.

Luka was humming under his breath and stirring the pasta sauce when Marinette came back into the kitchen. He dropped the spoon and swept an arm around her waist, spinning her in a circle until she was dizzy and giggling.

“What else could I do?” he sang loudly, grinning back at her. “I’m so inspired by you-“

“You’re in a better mood now,” she observed, winding her arms around his neck.

“Best thing, huh?” he said, and she wrinkled her nose at him.

“You heard that.”

He bent her backwards in a kiss that took her breath away, and that sexy voice of his sent a delicious shiver down her spine as he murmured against her ear, “The sauce is done, the pasta won’t take long, and I have a gorgeous girlfriend and about an hour before we have to get ready. Any thoughts about what we could do with that time?”

Marinette looked up at him from under her dark lashes. “I do have a thought or two.” She backed up a step, tugging him with her by a handful of t-shirt. “How about we discuss it in the bedroom.”

On the way past, Marinette snagged the jug of roses that were still sitting next to the sink and dumped it on the wide kitchen windowsill, half-hidden by the curtain.

“They won’t last long in the sun like that,” Luka observed mildly, planting another kiss on her collarbone.

“And? You think -“ Her breath hitched as he kissed her again. “You think I should put them somewhere else?”

“No,” Luka said. “No, I think they’re fine where they are.”


End file.
